Update 11-11-14
Hi,
First, it’s Veterans Day, which reminds me both of our veterans and of Jim Lorey, who used to remind me about Veterans and Memorial Days. So let’s remember the vets and Jim.
Next, from Zelda White Nichols: I thought I would send in a couple of updated pictures of me at a wonderful place called Myrtle Beach Safari. The link to their site is: myrtlebeachsafari . com (please remove the spaces). It’s obviously in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
This is not a zoo and not a rescue sanctuary. It’s an educational center to help save the endangered species of the world. Expensive? Yes, but worth every penny if you are crazy about animals the way I am.
In the first photo, I’m with a baby tiger cub. The tour is three hours minimum, and for 20 to 30 minutes of that, you sit in a large wooden enclosure that has a big tree in the middle while a number of cubs are let loose to visit whoever they want. They will run over your legs and lap, let you rub their tummies, and wear themselves out playing. Other animals are included in the tour as well, and many are hands-on experiences to help socialize the animals. The organization doesn’t allow you to pet the fully grown tigers or the Liger – which weighs 900 lbs – but you will see what kind of animals you can interact with in the following pictures.
The Safari is where many National Geographic shows about big cats are filmed. They only allow visitors three days a week off season, but maybe more during the summer months. Their goal is all about socializing the animals to prepare them for appearances on shows like the old Jay Leno Show, the Today Show, at concerts, and for many crowd appearances. There is no other place like it in this country for hands-on experiences, and I highly recommend it for anyone visiting the Myrtle Beach area.
The second photo – another of my favorites – is of me being kissed by an orangutan. He was swinging from rafters in a covered shelter, and it was up to him to go where he wanted and do whatever he chose to do. Some people he ignored, but some had hats stolen. One toupee was, too. I was honored that I got a kiss.
In the third photo, I wanted to steal this guy – a gibbon. I’m not especially fond of primates and came to the Safari for the tigers. But I fell in love with this little boy.
Finally, I am sitting on top of the wooden enclosure where they allow you to sit inside while playing with many cubs and a lynx. Again I’m smiling – you can see how miserable I looked in all these pictures. What was just as cool as all the animals – ever pet a Binturong? – were the looks on other people’s faces. So much good work is also done by this organization in other countries, all to try and educate natives as well as visitors. Plus, they do help with conservation and preservation of wildlife.
This is not a zoo and not a rescue sanctuary. It’s an educational center to help save the endangered species of the world. Expensive? Yes, but worth every penny if you are crazy about animals the way I am.
In the first photo, I’m with a baby tiger cub. The tour is three hours minimum, and for 20 to 30 minutes of that, you sit in a large wooden enclosure that has a big tree in the middle while a number of cubs are let loose to visit whoever they want. They will run over your legs and lap, let you rub their tummies, and wear themselves out playing. Other animals are included in the tour as well, and many are hands-on experiences to help socialize the animals. The organization doesn’t allow you to pet the fully grown tigers or the Liger – which weighs 900 lbs – but you will see what kind of animals you can interact with in the following pictures.
The Safari is where many National Geographic shows about big cats are filmed. They only allow visitors three days a week off season, but maybe more during the summer months. Their goal is all about socializing the animals to prepare them for appearances on shows like the old Jay Leno Show, the Today Show, at concerts, and for many crowd appearances. There is no other place like it in this country for hands-on experiences, and I highly recommend it for anyone visiting the Myrtle Beach area.
The second photo – another of my favorites – is of me being kissed by an orangutan. He was swinging from rafters in a covered shelter, and it was up to him to go where he wanted and do whatever he chose to do. Some people he ignored, but some had hats stolen. One toupee was, too. I was honored that I got a kiss.
In the third photo, I wanted to steal this guy – a gibbon. I’m not especially fond of primates and came to the Safari for the tigers. But I fell in love with this little boy.
Finally, I am sitting on top of the wooden enclosure where they allow you to sit inside while playing with many cubs and a lynx. Again I’m smiling – you can see how miserable I looked in all these pictures. What was just as cool as all the animals – ever pet a Binturong? – were the looks on other people’s faces. So much good work is also done by this organization in other countries, all to try and educate natives as well as visitors. Plus, they do help with conservation and preservation of wildlife.
[Rich – I’ve forwarded the 4 photos to Stu Borman for posting on the class of ‘65 site.]
Coincidentally, from Peter Rosen: I just went to the Picasa site with all the pictures for the first time. Oh, my god, they brought back such fun memories.
Many of the class knew my mother from knowing me or from having had her as a substitute teacher at South until she went on to a career as an English teacher at Lawrence High School. I just want to mention that she recently turned 95 and is still living independently. If I have her genes, I will be going to a lot of reunions. Right now, as I’ve written before, I’m looking forward to our 50th in April.
Many of the class knew my mother from knowing me or from having had her as a substitute teacher at South until she went on to a career as an English teacher at Lawrence High School. I just want to mention that she recently turned 95 and is still living independently. If I have her genes, I will be going to a lot of reunions. Right now, as I’ve written before, I’m looking forward to our 50th in April.
[Rich – If you live that long, Peter, you may be writing these newsletters. The men in my family generally don’t make it past 80.]
Also about pictures, Barbara Blitfield Pech wrote, “Flapper... Flower Child... Whatever...”
[Rich – So I guess Barbara was suppose to be a flower child in that new Facebook photo. Ah, well, even at my present age, I can’t see or remember much. Sorry, Barbara.]
Further about photos: if you Google “Barnet Kellman Williamstown” you’ll see links to two productions he directed and I designed scenery for as part of the Williamstown Theater Festival’s 2nd Company in 1975. The 2nd Company was a small rep company of young actors, directors, and designers that existed parallel to the main stage productions. Barnet’s two productions were The Recruiting Officer and Domino Court. If you Google “Rich Eisbrouch Williamstown” you’ll get links to all six productions that were in rep that summer. Ken Frankel directed two, and Claudia Weill and Tina Packer directed one each. Barnet’s now wife Nancy Mette was part of the – I think – 12 member acting company, as were Jay O. Sanders and Diane Salinger.
My favorite story about Barnet that summer was – after one more time being manipulated by the famously difficult artistic director Nikos Psacharopoulos – Barnet came into the 2nd Company office grumbling, “I’m too old for this shit.” We were 27. The costume designer – Carol Oditz – and I decided to have that motto printed on a T-shirt for Barnet, but even in a liberal, Massachusetts college town at that liberated date, we had trouble getting the college bookstore to letter “shit” on a T-shirt that could be worn in public. They were afraid the shirt would be traced back to them, and they’d be arrested. Carol and I had to promise that it was a private gift that would never be worn in public.
My favorite story about Barnet that summer was – after one more time being manipulated by the famously difficult artistic director Nikos Psacharopoulos – Barnet came into the 2nd Company office grumbling, “I’m too old for this shit.” We were 27. The costume designer – Carol Oditz – and I decided to have that motto printed on a T-shirt for Barnet, but even in a liberal, Massachusetts college town at that liberated date, we had trouble getting the college bookstore to letter “shit” on a T-shirt that could be worn in public. They were afraid the shirt would be traced back to them, and they’d be arrested. Carol and I had to promise that it was a private gift that would never be worn in public.
Finally, after my raid on Facebook last week, someone wrote in concerned that I was embarrassing people. First, I asked a year-or-so ago if anyone would mind if I occasionally lifted interesting postings from Facebook to pass on to the class. Only two people asked that I not pass on what they’d written, and I never have. But, secondly, to remind people – and maybe assure some who’ve never heard this before – you just have to trust that I'm never going to put anything negative in the newsletter. That's not what it's here for. Some people think I'm Richie Cunningham from Happy Days, which just isn't true. But in the newsletter, I can pretend.
The repeated upcoming reunion information:
The class of '65 50th Reunion: Friday, April 24 through Sunday, April 26, 2015, Hyatt Regency, Hauppauge.
The South '65 e-mail addresses: reunionclass65 . blogspot . com (please remove the spaces)
The South '65 photo site: picasaweb . google . com/SouthHS65 (ditto)
Rich
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